Water-heater.



R. D. ALBRIGHT & J. E. LUKEHART.

WATER HEATER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 13, 1914.

Patented Jan. 11, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

JELzLZjekcufZ R. D. ALBRIGHT & J. E. LUKEHART.

WATER HEATER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 13, 1914.

1, 168,04, Patented Jan. 11, 1916 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

%lllllyl l el llll t QOLUMDIA PLANOGRAPH c0" WASHINGTON-D. c.

R. D. ALBRIGHT & J. E. LUKEHART.

WATER HEATER.

APPLICATION HLED JULY 13. 1914.

Patented J an. 11, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Mk/b way MM m u a 9 m J n n p in b R. D. ALBRIGHT & J. E. LUKEHART.

WATER HEATER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 13, 1914.

1,168,044, Patented Jam 11, 1916.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

COLUMBIA PLMQGRAPH CO.,WASHINGTCIN, D. c.

weenie.

-the so called instantaneous type.

invirnn sirarns rarnnr one RALPH ID. ALBRIGHT AND JACOB E. LUKEHART, OF OIL CITY, PENNSYLVANIA..

WATER-HEATER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 13, 1914. Serial No. 850,840.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, RALPH D. ALBRI HT and Jacon E. LUKEHART, citizens of the United States, residing at Oil City, in the county of Venango and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in l Vater-Heaters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to water heaters and more particularly to a water heater of As ordinarily constructed, heaters of this type includ in their structure one or more coiled water pipes located above the burner or burners. Such an arrangement presents numerous disadvantages, however. For example, it is difficult, if not impossible, to thoroughly clean the coils when they become clogged with scale and sediment, and due to their particular form considerable fuel must be burned in order to secure satisfactory results. Furthermore, in the event that the coils become disconnected or leak, they must almost invariably be replaced at a considerable expense.

It is therefore one aim of the present invention to provide a water heater of the type mentioned so constructed that the hot water may be quickly obtained with a minimum consumption of fuel and to so construct and arrange the water tubes that they may be readily replaced in the event that they leak and may be readily cleaned whenever they become clogged with sediment or scale.

Another disadvantage possessed by water heaters of the type mentioned and constructed in the ordinary manner, is that the burners must be left on full during the time the heater is being used, or the valve or valves controlling the supply of fuel must be manually regulated at frequent intervals, and it is furthermore difficult to so adjust the valve as to obtain a supply of water at the desired temperature.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide, in such a heater, an arrangement whereby the flow of gas or other fuel to the burners will be automatically controlled, the supply of gas being turned on full immediately upon opening of the hot water spigot or spigots and being cut on? upon closing of the spigot. In this manner and by adjustment of a thermostatic valve, also embodying the invention, a supply of water at exactly the desired temperature may be secured at any time without any attention being given to the burner.

Incidentally, the invention contemplates the provlsion of means for accomplishlng the result 111st mentioned, which means w1ll per.-

mit of the drawing of water from a cold" water spigot interposed in the supply pipe or system without resulting in the turning on of the fuel supply.

Another aim of the invention is to provide in connection with a heater of the type whether or not the burner is in working.

order..

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel arrangement of water heads and water tubes, whereby a more perfect circulation is provided for than in the ordinary forms of water heaters.

In the accompanying drawings: is a perspective View of the water heater embodying the present invention. Fig. ,2

is a vertical transverse sectional view there-' through. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through a portion of the heater'and' through one of the burners and burner tubes. Fig. i is a view in elevation of one of thewater heads with the cover plate and packing removed. Fig. 5 is a similar view of the other water head. mentary perspective view of one of the packing sheets comprising an. element of the water head shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of one of the water tubes, illustrating the manner of.

mounting the same. Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view through. the automatic valve for controlling the supplyof fuel to the burn-' ers Fig. 9 is a similar view through the thermostatic valve. Fig. 10 is a fragmentary perspective view of the packing sheet employed in connection with the Water head shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indi- PatentedJan.-11, 1916.

F gure.

Fig. 6 is a frag.

cated in all the views of the accompanying drawings by the same reference characters.

The heater embodying the present invention includes a lower casing section A and an upper casing section B, the burner tubes being arranged within the lower casing. section and the water tubes being arranged within the upper casing section. The upper casing section comprises a front 1, a back 2, and a top 3, the said section being open at its bottom and at its opposite sides and being provided in its top with a vent opening 4. The water tubes of the heater are mounted between the water heads which are supported within the open sides of the upper casing section Band the arrangement of these tubes and the construction of the water heads will now be described.

One of the water heads shown in elevation in Fig. i of the drawings, comprises a casting 5 formed with a plurality of series of openings 6, the openings of each series being arranged in staggered relation. The inner face of the water head 5 is plane but i the head is formed in its outer face, surrounding each opening 6, with a recess 7 and with ducts or passages 8 which connect the recesses surrounding the openings of each series. By reference to Fig. d, it will be observed that the sets of recesses comprising each series extend parallel to each other and the passages or ducts 8 are arranged in a zigzag manner so that the recesses of the upper set are in communication with the recesses of the lower set comprising the series. This is not strictly true, however, for the recesses of each set which are located substantially midway between the ends of the series are out of communication with each other and, therefore, each series of recesses may be said to be divided substantially at the vertical middle of the head. The purpose of this arrangement will be presently pointed out. t this point it may be re marked that any desired number of series of openings and recesses may be provided, and, in the present instance, three series of such openings and recesses are formed in the water head 5 and the head is provided with an additional series of openings 9 located in a line parallel to the lowermost set of openings 6, the openings 9 being surrounded by recesses 10, corresponding to the recesses 7. The recesses 10 which are located midway between the ends of the series of recesses are out of communication with each other so that the series of recesses may be said to be divided midway between its ends, and the recesses in each division are connected or placed in communication with each other by passages or ducts 11. All of the recesses 10, as well as their intercommunicating passages 11, are out of comthrough the water tubes and water heads may be more readily described hereinafter, that portion of the water head which divides the said recesses 10 which are out of communication with each other is indicated by the numeral 5*. by a cap plate 12 secured in place by means of screws 13 secured through the edges of the plate and into the body of the water head and other screws 14 secured through the middle portion of the plate and into the said body portion of the head. In order that the plate 12 may close the head in a water tight manner, and in order to insure of the water taking the tortuous passage provided for by the recesses and their connecting passages or ducts, a packing sheet 15 is provided and is disposed between the recessed face of the body 5 of the water head and the cap plate 12. A portion of this packing sheet is shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings, and by reference to the said figure, it will be understood that the sheet is rectangular in marginal outline so as to conform to the outline of the water head and that the sheet is formed with a series of openings 16 and communicating slots 17, which correspond both in location and in outline to the shapes of the recesses and communicating ducts formed in the face of the body portion 5. It will also be apparent by reference to the said Fig. 6, that the sheet is provided with openings and communicating slots 18 and 19 respectively, which correspond to the recesses 10 and ducts 11, and that the series of openings is interrupted at the point 18*, this portion of the sheet registering with the portion 5 of the face of the body 5 so as to prevent communication between the openings at each side of the said portion 5*. The packing sheet 15 may be of rubber or any other suitable material and it will be apparent that it does not interfere with the free circulation of water through the recesses and communicating ducts, but, on the other hand, insures of such circulation and prevents communication between such of the recesses as are intended to be out of communication with each other. The other water head, shown in elevation in Fig. 5 of the drawings, comprises a body 20 provided with a number of series of recesses 21 and communicating ducts 22 which are arranged in the same manner as the recesses 7 and ducts 8 and which are of the same form. The recesses 21 and their communicating ducts 22, however, are arranged in parallel series extending upwardly from the lower portion of the plate, whereas, the series of the recesses 7 and their communicating ducts 8 extend downwardly from the upper portion of the plate or head 5. The face of the plate 20 is formed parallel to its upper edge and above the uppermost series of recesses 21 with an The water head 5 is closed elongated recess 23 which performs a functicn somewhat similar to the recesses 10 and communicating ducts 11, as will presently be made apparent, but which differs from the arrangement of the recesses and ducts 10 and 11 respectively in that it is continuous so that the openings 24 which are formed in the body 20 are all placed in communication one with another through the medium of the said recess 23. In addition to the openings 24:, the body is formed with openings 25 which correspond to the openings 6 and which communicate with the recesses 21.

The water head 20 is closed by means of a cap plate 26 secured in the same manner as the plate 12 and a packing sheet 27 is disposed between the recessed face of the head 20 and the cap plate 26. The sheet 27 is of the form shown in Fig. 10 of the drawings, and it will be apparent by reference to the said figure, which illustrates a frag ment of the sheet, that the sheet is substantially the same as shown in Fig. 6, except that the openings 18 and slots 19 are re placed by a continuous relatively wide slot 28 which registers with the elongated recess 23. The water tubes which extend between the water heads are indicated by the numeral 29, and these tubes are mounted at their ends in the heads 5- and 20 in the manner clearly shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings, and which will now be described.

The openings and 25 the water head 20 are threaded, as indicated at 30, and secured by brazing or otherwise upon one endof each of the water tubes 29 is a bushing 31 which 1s threaded, as 1nd1cated at 32, to

fit the threads 30. The openings 6 and 9 in the water head 5 are enlarged, as at 33, and

a packing 34: of plumbago or other suitable material is arranger within the enlarged portion of each opening, and each opening is threaded, as at 35, to receive a bushing 36 which, when threaded into the openings, serves to compress the packing 34, the other end of the water tube fitting through the bushing and into the opening in the bijishing. It will. be apparent that while the first-mentioned end of each water tube is fixed with relation to the water head 20, the last-mentioned end of each tube is not fixedly connected with the respective bushing 36, but the packing is compressed by this bushing around the tube so as to allow for the expansion and contraction of the tube due to the variations in temperature towhich the tube is subjected. The cap plate 12 is provided with water inlet and outlet open-' let lugs for the connection of the water in and outlet pipes, and the water inlet opening in the cap plate is located at such a point as to communicate with the series of recesses and ducts 10 and 11 respectively at one side of the dividing portion 5 and the outlet opegring is located at such a point as to communicate with the series of openings and ducts at the other side of the said dividing portion.

it will now be apparent, and particularly by reference to Figs. 4: and 5, that the water first enters the water head 5 by way of the recesses and ducts 10 and 11 at the left hand side of the dividing portion 5* in Fig. 4, and passes from these recesses and ducts through the corresponding water tubes 25) and from these tubes into the corresponding recesses 21 in the lower portion of the head 20. From the recesses 21, or more specifically, those of the recesses which are located at the right hand side of the series in Fig. 5, the water flows through the corresponding ducts 22 to the set of recesses 21 above the first-mentioned recesses 21. The water then flows in an opposite direction through the water tubes immediately above the firstanentioned set of tubes and into those of the recesses 7 which are located immediately above the specifically mentioned recesses 10. It will be understood that from this point, the flow of water is back and forth from the tubes in an upward direction until the uppermost recesses 7 are reached, in the water head 5, from which recesses the water flows through the corresponding water tubes into the elongated recess 23 and thence from the right hand side of the water head 20 to the left hand side thereof, as viewed in Fig. 5 of the drawings. From the recess 23, the water then takes a course back and forth through the water tubes at the right hand side in Fig. 4:, or lefthand side in Fig. 5, until the recesses 10, other than those above-specifiv ally referred to, are reached, from which point the water passes into the water outlet pipe. It will be apparent from the foregoing that a tortuous circulation of the water is pr vided for and that, as the flow reaches the water tubes which communicate with the last-mentioned series of recesses 10, it will have been heated to the desired temperature and it will be unnecessary to first runoff a volume of cold water before obtaining hot water, as is the case in water heaters of this general class of the ordinary construction. It will furthermore be apparent that no con? siderable volume of water is allowed to remain for any length of time within the water heads which are not subjected to the direct action of the burners, but, on the other hand, there will be a continuous circulation or flow of water through the recesses and passages in these heads and, consequently, the water may be more quickly heated.

The water inlet or supply pipe is indicated by the'numeral 37 and is connected by means of a union 37 with the cap plate 12, and to one end of a comb ned i-union and valve casing 39, which constitutes an 7 ele-' ment of the automatic valve shown in Fig. 8, which valve controls the supply of fuel to the burners as will be presently explained. That portion of the fuel supply pipe which is located at the openings, is indicated by the numeral 10 and extends transversely of the front of the base portion A. of the heater, the said front of the base portion being indicated by the numeral 41, the sides thereof by the numeral 42, the back by the numeral 43, and the bottom by the numeral ist. The said base portion or lower casing section of the heater is preferably supported by means of suitable legs and the upper casing section B is removably disposed thereon and braced with respect thereto by means of lugs 46 which project downwardly from the walls of the upper section and bear against the inner sides of the walls of the lower section. The burner tubes are indicated by the numeral 417 and each tube is open at both ends, as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, and formed in its upper side with a slot 48 extending longitudinally thereof at which the gas is ignited as it issues from the tubes. In order to support the inner ends of the tubes and to close their said ends, the back or rear wall of the lower casing section is formed with a series of integral conical plugs 49 over which the said inner ends of the burner tubes are fitted, and these tubes at their outer or forward ends fit through the openings 50 in the front 46 of the said casing section. A mixing chamber 51 is provided in connection with each burner tube and a set screw 52 is adjustably fitted through the neck of the mixing chamber and is tight ened to bear against the tube and hold these parts in proper connected relation. The

-mixing chamber 51 is provided with the usual air inlet openings 54: and damper plate 55, and the fuel supply pipe 40 is provided at intervals with jet nozzles 56 which project axially from the end of the chamber in which the openings 54: are formed and through the damper plate 55, these jet noz Zles having their discharge ends presented toward and spaced from the forward ends of the respective burner tubes 7. By ref erence to Fig. 2 of the drawings, it will be observed that the burner tubes a7 are arranged in a series side by side and parallel to each other and that they extend at right angles to the bank of water tubes 29 and beneath the same.

The automatic valve, hereinbefore referred to and shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings, includes the combined union and valve casing 39 and a tubular casing 57 which at its lower end is threaded into the upper end of the casing 39. The tubular casing 57 is provided with an inlet opening 58-and aunion 59, into which union is fitted one end of another section of the fuel supply pipe, indicated bv the numeral 60, fuel being dislaespaa to the casing 57 below the union 59 and into this latter union is fitted the inlet end of the" fuel supply pipe section 20, the wall of the casing being formed with a circumscribing series of openings 62 communicating with the interior of the union 61 and consequently with the pipe 40. Under conditions to be presently explained, fuel supplied through the pipe (30 enters the casing 57 and passes through the openings 62 and into the union 61, through the pipe lO to the burner tubes. In order to control the supply of fuel to the burner tubes, a double headed piston valve is arranged within the casing 57 and this valve comprises an upper head 63 and a lower head 6%, both mounted upon a valve stem 65. These valve heads may be of any ordinary or preferred design and are secured upon the stem in any suitable manner, as for example, by nuts 66 and 67 respectively.

The head 63 of the valve may, in the movement of the device from oneposition to another, occupy a position above the openings 62, as shown in Fig. 8, or a position below the said openings, and it will be ap parent that in the first instance, the fuel supply will be cut off from the openings 62 and consequently from the burners and in the latter instance, will be permitted to flow through the said openings. The lower head of the valve works in the lower portion of the casing 57 and is designed to be acted upon by the water pressure within the valve casing 39, as will now be pointed out. It will be understood that when the hot water spigot or spigots are closed, there will be a certain definite pressure within the water inlet pipe 37 and the water supply pipe or main 38, which pipe is fitted into the other end of the casing 39, as shown in Fig. 7, and it will further be understood that this pressure acting against the valve head 6% will tend to force the valve in an upward direction whereby to position the head 63 above the openings 62 and thereby cut off the fuel supply. 7

For the successful operation of the valve, it is necessary that means be provided for yieldably opposing the force exerted against the lower head of the valve by the water pressure. and to this end the valve stem 35 is provided at its upper end with a head 68 against which bears the lower end of a spring 69 located within the casing 57. This spring bears at its upper end against a disk 70 and an adjusting screw 71 is threaded through a cap 72 which is removably fitted upon the upper end of the casing 57 and said screw bars at its lower end against the disk 70 and serves as an adjustable abutment for the said disk. It will now be apparent that the spring 69 exerts downward pressure upon the valve opposing the upward pressure exerted by the water within the casing 39. It will of course be understood that when the hot water spigot or spigots are opened, the water pressure within the easthrough the openings 62 to the pipe 10 which leads to the burners. When the hot water spigot is again closed, the pressure within the casing 39 will be restored and will act against the head 64 of the valve to move the valve upwardly against the tension of the wring ea whereby to position the head 63 above the openings 62 thereby cutting off the supply of fuel to the burners. It will now be understood that as soon as one or more of the hot water spigots (which have not been shown in the drawings) is opened, the supply of fuel to the burners will automatically be turned on or opened, whereby to heat the water issuing from the heater, and that upon closing of the spigot or spigots, the supply of fuel will be automatically cut off.

In order that the cold water spigots interposed in the length of the pipe 38, may be opened and closed without in any way alfecting the valve, above described, the casing 39 is formed interio-rly with a seat 73 and a check valve 7 1 is provided within the casing and is arranged to rest against the seat and thereby prevent reduction in pressure within the casing 39 when the water is drawn from the pipe 38 through a spigot or the like interposed therein. It will be understood of course that by adjusting the screw 71, the tension of the spring 69 may be varied in accordance with the normal water pressure.

In order that the fuel issuing from the burner tips may be automatically ignited when the fuel supply is open to the burners, there is provided a pilot burner including a supply tube 75 which communicates with the main gas supply pipe in a manner to be presently pointed out and which has one end located opposite an opening 76 formed in one side wall of the lower casing section A. This end of the tube 75 is provided with a burner tube 77, and when it is desired to make use of the heater, a valve 78, interposed in the tube 75 at any convenient point, is opened, and the gaseous fuel issuing from the tube 7 7 is ignited. It will be observed, by reference to Fig. 1 of the drawings, that the pilot tube and burner are located exteriorly of the heater casing, and in order that the desired result may be obtained, a union 79 is interposed in the pipe 40 and is provided with a burner tip 80 which has its discharge end presented toward and in a line slightly above the burner tip 77, the said discharge end of the tip 80 being presented furthermore toward the opening 76. It will now be'apparent that when the fuel supply is turned on, from the opening of the hotwater spigot, gas will issue from the tip 80 and will be directed across the pilot flame and therefore ignited. The flame issuing from the tip 80 will be blown through the opening 76 and across the top of one or more of the burner tubes 47, thereby igniting the gas as it issues from the slots in these tubes. At this point it will be apparent that the pilot burner is at all times exposed to view and consequently it may be readily ascer tained whether or not the same is in proper working order and lighted.

In order that the water passing through the heater may be heated to any desired temperature, a. thermostatic valve device is pro vided for controlling the supply of fuel to the burners including a tubular casing 81 which is threaded at its lower end into a union 82 interposed in the hot water outlet pipe, indicated by the numeral 83. The cas-- ing 81 has fitted into it at one side, the pipe 60 and a cap 81 is removably fitted onto the upper end of the casing 81 and has a thread, ed sleeve extension 85 into which is adjustably threaded or otherwise adjustably fitted-,

a fuel supply'pipe 86, the supply pipe having its lower end projecting into the casing 81 and being connected to the source of fuel supply in any sultable manner. The casing 81 is provided at its lower end with an in wardly projecting annular flange 87 and disposed within the casing and resting upon the flange or secured thereto in 'any suitable manner, is a relatively thin disk 88 of copper or other heat conducting material. The cas ing 81 contains a volume of mercury, indicated at 89, forming a column resting upon the disk 88, and the pipe 86 is, as stated, adjustable in the cap 85 so as to position its lower or upper end of the column of mercury.

As above pointed out, the union 82 is interposed in the hot water outlet pipe and consequently the column of mercury willbe subjected toheat from the water transmitted through the disk 88. Assuming the pipe 86 to, have been adjusted to the desired position, it will be apparent that when the column of mercury 89 has expanded to a certain extent, depending upon the temperature of the water, and the tube 86 has been adjusted, as above stated, the column of mercury will raise and close the lower end of the tube, thereby cutting off the supply of gas to the pipe 60. When the water has reached the desired degree of temperature, the column of mercury will recede thereby again allow ing the fuel to pass to the burners. By reference to Fig. 1 of the drawings, it will discharge end slightly above the being provided with water passages'estab.

lishing communication between the tubes in series and between the series of tubes, one of the said heads having an inlet and an outlet and one set of tubes of one series being in communication with the inlet and one set of tubes of the other series being in communication with the outlet, the said sets of tubes being out of communication with each other.

2. In a water heater, spaced water heads, and a bank of water tubes connecting the heads, one of the heads having an inlet and an outlet and the heads hating water passages communicating with the tubes and arranged in such manner as to cause a passage of water from the inlet back and forth in a continuous flow through the tubes at one side of the bank and thence back and forth through the tubes at the other side of the bank to the outlet.

3. In a water heater, spaced water heads, and a bank of water tubes connecting the heads, one of the heads having an inlet and an outlet and the heads having water passages'communicating with the tubes and es tablishing communication between the tubes in series, each series of passages being out of communication with each other at a point in the series whereby the bank of tubes is divided, except for the corresponding ends of the tubes comprising one of the series, which ends of all oi said tubes are in communication with each other.

4:. In a water heater, spaced water heads, and a bank of water tubes connecting the heads, one of the heads having an inlet and an outlet and the heads having water pas sages communicating with the tubes and establishing communication between the tubes in the series, each series of passages being Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner Washington, D. C.

out of communication with each other at a point on the series, whereby the bank of tubes is divided, except for the corresponding ends of the tubes, comprising one of the series, which ends of all of said tubes are in communication with each other, the inlet and the outlet each communicating with corresponding ends of the tubes comprising a division of a series of the tubes remote from the first-mentioned series.

5. In a water heater, spaced water heads, each comprising a body and a cap plate, and a packing sheet disposed between a face of the body and the said cap plate, and a bank of water tubes connecting the heads, the heads having water passages communicating with the tubes and establishing commune cation between the tubes in the series and between the series of tubes, the packing sheets having passages matching the passages in the faces of the respective bodies of the water heads.

6. In a water heater, spaced water heads, a )lurality of series of water tubes connecting the heads, the series being arranged in sets and the tubes of the sets at one water head being out of communication with each other except for two adjacent tubes of the uppermost series of the two sets which said tubes are in communication with each other at the said head, certain of the tubes of the said uppermost series of the sets of tubes at the other water head all being in communication with each other and connnunicating one set with the other, the first mentioned water head being provided with a water inlet in communication with certain of the tubes of the lowermost series of one of the sets of tubes and being provided with a hot water outlet in communication with certain ones of the lowermost series of tubes of the other set of tubes.

In testimony whereof we ailix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

RALPH D. ALBRIGHT. [L.s

JACOB E. LUKEHART. [Ls] Witnesses:

J. M. RHonAnnReER,

M. P. AMY.

of Patents, 

